It was a clear spring day in 1937 when Amelia Earhart was ready to make history by flying around the world. She brought her personal photographer to a small Southern California airport to document the journey's beginning.

Al Bresnik took dozens of still photos. They included a few that have likely been seen by millions. His brother John, who tagged along, made a very dark, grainy 3.5-minute home movie almost nobody saw until now.

The film, "Amelia Earhart's Last Photo Shoot," is being released this month by The Paragon Agency publishing house. Included will be an 80-page book of the same name. It documents a journey that ended tragically short of the finish line when Earhart's plane vanished somewhere over the Pacific Ocean.

A downloadable copy of the film is being provided to those who buy the book. Paragon publisher Doug Westfall said he eventually plans to donate the fragile original to an archive or museum. It was given to him by John Bresnik's son.

The film was taken with a 16-millimeter camera. It sat on a shelf in the office of his father for more than 50 years until his death in 1992, said Bresnik's son, also named John. After that, it sat in the younger man's home in Escondido, California, for about 20 more years.

"I didn't even know what was on the film until my dad died and I took it home and watched it," Bresnik said recently. "It just always sat it in a plain box on a shelf in his office. And on the outside it said, 'Amelia Earhart, Burbank Airport, 1937.' "

He can't say with certainty that his father took the film, although he knows his uncle didn't. That's because he's in it.

So is Earhart. She is looking jaunty and more playful than the public persona she sometimes projected. Dressed in a smart pantsuit rather than her standard flight jacket, she shows people around the plane. She clambers on top to pose for still photos and occasionally grins broadly, something she rarely did in her official photos.

"It shows a more feminine side of her," says Nicole Swinford. She wrote the accompanying book.

Like all things Earhart, it comes with controversy.

Richard Gillespie, executive director of the International Group For Historic Aircraft Recovery, said the film is obviously authentic. But he believes it was taken in March 1937 and not in May, as Swinford concludes.

It was in March that Earhart made her first attempt to become the first woman to circle Earth when she left from California. She only got as far as Hawaii. There, she crashed her twin-engine Electra L-10E on takeoff. The plane had to be shipped home for repairs.

"You can tell from the way the airplane's configured," said Gillespie. He has studied Earhart for nearly 30 years. "The airplane as shown in the film is very clearly the pre-repaired airplane."

Whatever the date of the photo shoot, Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, left what's now known as Bob Hope Airport in Burbank on May 21, 1937, for a second try. This time they headed east. Gillespie doubts there was a photo shoot before that flight. That's because she left quietly that time.

Earhart and Noonan were about two-thirds through their journey when they left New Guinea on July 2 for Howland Island. It is a tiny speck of land in the Pacific, midway between Australia and Hawaii. In one of her last radio transmissions, the pilot said she thought they were near but couldn't see the island. And they were low on fuel.

The first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, Earhart was one of the most recognizable celebrities of her time. And Westfall acknowledged that plenty of people may have taken her photo during stops on that trip.

But this appears to be the final film heralding her departure from California on the first leg of what would be her final flight.

"Then she left us forever," Westfall said.

Critical thinking challenge: Why might this sentence not be true: This appears to be the final film heralding her departure from California on the first leg of what would be her final flight.

In this article it tells about a film of the big day that Amelia Earhart changes the world by flying the first plane ever to fly. It also tells about who and how this was found. The film is Amelia Earhart brought her personal photographer to a small Southern California airport to document the journey's beginning. The article was pretty interesting and good.

LucasF-1

6/12/2015 - 03:54 p.m.

Amelia Earheart used to fly planes. She tried to go on a really long plane ride. She disappeared in the middle of the ocean. She has never been found. Before she was lost, she took a photo shoot. I think it is sad she disappeared. I wonder if her body and plane will ever be recovered from wherever they were lost.

SpencerRR-2

6/14/2015 - 03:11 p.m.

This article is about Amelia Earhart. this was when her photographer took her pictures and they are surfacing now. Al Bresnik took dozens of still photos. They included a few that have likely been seen by millions. His brother John, who tagged along, made a very dark, grainy 3.5-minute home movie almost nobody saw until now. This was interesting as we still do not know how or where she crashed. I dont think we even know what happened to her.

This is and interesting article as we see a real picture of Amelia Earhart.

brady.q-

6/15/2015 - 01:41 p.m.

This story is all about John Bresnik who found the video in his fathers office who passed away. This video that has been on long time ago nobody seen it before. Then Amelia Earhart disappeared..

Eugene0808-YYCA

6/15/2015 - 07:26 p.m.

I think this is a total shocker because there was no evidence of a home movie recorded before Amelia Earhart's solo flight. This could help us figure out what happened to her. It is unbelievable because there was no known source of a home movie recorded before her final flight. There are many flaws in the movie because somewhere in the article, it says that in the movie, the airplane looked pre-repaired so there was no way that it could have flown. Critical thinking challenge: Why might this sentence not be true: This appears to be the final film heralding her departure from California on the first leg of what would be her final flight.Answer: The sentence might not be true because before, it says she was two-thirds through her journey and in the movie, the airplane looked pre-repaired.

Rachelc-Pav

6/16/2015 - 10:41 a.m.

I think this is really cool because we get a certain part of our past to us. Also, we get to watch a lady of our history.

HudsonC-3

6/17/2015 - 03:57 p.m.

In spring of 1937 Amelia started her journey. Amelia's last photoshoot was released to the public. It was filmed by her personal photographer's brother. He made a dark 3.5 minute home video of her. It is the last video of her before she disappeared. It shows a more feminine side of her. I think she should be put in some type of fame hall. I also think she should be remembered more.

Steve0620-yyca

6/17/2015 - 09:14 p.m.

Amelia Earhart is a famous person who is known to be a great female flier. I can't believe that she would take her personal photographer, Al Bresnik. Al Bresnik made a three and a half minute movie about Amelia Earhart. It is surprising that no one saw the movie until now when the movie is being released this month by The Phargon Agency publishing house. The copy of the film is also being available to people who buy the book. I think that she was bold and audacious to try to become the first woman to fly across the entire world but unfortunately she crashed in Hawaii and the plane had to be sent home for a repair. Amelia Earhart was a great person but she had her last flight and left forever.

Ts2000

6/18/2015 - 09:12 a.m.

I wonder why they waited so long to check what was in the box . Maybe if they start and try to investigate on how she died again it might be some clues in the video that might help

peytoni-Hyl

6/18/2015 - 12:01 p.m.

The article about Amelia Earhart was very interesting to me because John Rogers put in a lot of detail in the text to make me understand about Amelia Earhart. I like this detail that Mr. Rogers put in '' The first women to fly solo across the Atlantic, Earhart was one of the most recognizable celebrities of her time. And Westfall acknowledged that plenty of people may have taken her photo during stops on that trip."